


Warm And Real And Bright

by CelaenaAelin72, LunarApocolypse



Category: Tangled (2010), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:34:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29022801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelaenaAelin72/pseuds/CelaenaAelin72, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarApocolypse/pseuds/LunarApocolypse
Summary: Tangled but with shigadabi yup I know I’m amazing no need to thank me
Relationships: Dabi/Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko
Comments: 15
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You guys have no idea how long we've been procrastinating on this. But finally I (Celaena) found a Tangled transcript and some motivation, and this is off! Sorry for probably-slow updates and the usual thanks for clicking!

This is the story of how I died.

Actually, this isn't even my story. It's the story of a boy named Touya. And it starts with the stars. Once upon a time, a drop of starlight fell from the heavens. And this drop, this was the seed for a beautiful silver and white flower. It could anything, any illness, injury, or other affliction. There was an old man who used it to keep himself young for centuries, although we won't go into that just yet. But remember him. He's kinda important. Well, much time and a short boat ride later, a kingdom grew. This kingdom had beloved rulers, and they were about to have their first child, until the queen got really, really sick. There wasn't much hope left. And that, of course, is when the search for a miracle begins. Or, here, a starflower. So, remember the man I told you about? Well, despite the centuries he'd been using it, he'd never shared the flower's secrets with anyone. And all he had to do was to sing a special song, and it went like this...

_Flower gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine_

Alright, you get it. Singing equals turning young. Creepy, right? So anyways, the guards found it, the magic flower healed the queen, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, a prince, with silvery white hair. I'll give you a clue. That's Touya. To celebrate him, when he was born, his parents launched a floating lantern into the sky. And for that moment, it was all perfect. And then it ended. The man who'd hoarded the flower snuck into the nursery, with the intention of cutting a piece of hair for his youth. But as soon as he cut it, even as he sang, the hair turned black in his hand, completely powerless. So this man, Enji, stole Touya there where he slept and hid him away in a tower deep in the woods, where despite searching and searching, no one could find him. 

He'd found his new magic flower, and this time, it was going to stay hidden. Enji raised the child as his own. He told him that the outside world was filled with dangerous, selfish people and he could never leave the tower.

But even those walls couldn't hide everything, because every year on his birthday, thousands of lanterns were released into the sky, in the hope that their lost prince would return...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I think this is one of the longest chapters of a thing I have ever written. This is what you can do with an idea and a movie script, people!

Touya woke slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, at exactly seven just as he had for the past eighteen years. He had the usual morning lineup to take care of, after all. He groaned and pushed himself out of bed before starting on his chores. The first one, as usual was sweeping until the floor was clean, then polishing and waxing, laundry, mopping, shining up, and sweeping again, over about fifteen minutes. Then he'd sit down and read a book, or maybe two or three, paint the walls, play guitar, knit, cook bake and such.  
  
Sticking to the day's tightly monitored schedule, after lunch he'd do puzzles and darts and more baking, paper-mache, ballet, pottery, ventriloquy, brushing his hair, and, well, you get the gist. With special emphasis on the brushing part, as his hair was at least seventy feet long. And most of all, wondering if, now that he was eighteen, Father would let him outside. But at that same moment, things were happening in the kingdom of Corona that would eventually change history itself...

* * *

The notorious thief Tomura Shigaraki was standing on the roof of the castle. "Guys, I could get used to this," he called back to his two accomplices, Himiko and Kenji.

"Come on," Kenji sighed.

"Hold on. Yep, I'm used to it. Guys, I want a castle."

"We do this job, you can get your own castle." They lowered Tomura down through the roof, their target gleaming on a velvet pillow beneath him. He unhooked himself from the rope and grabbed the jeweled circlet as a guard sneezed. In his usual cocky and irritating fashion, he just had to say something.

"Hay fever?" he asked. The guard sniffled an affirmative and turned around to see him escaping through the roof, crown in hand.

"Hey-wait! Get back here!" Tomura ran across the roofs of the city and toward the forest with Himiko and Kenji in tow.

"Can't you guys see me in a castle of my own? I definitely can. Oh, the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning. This is a very big day."

* * *

back in the tower...

* * *

_This is it. I'm finally going to ask him_ , Touya thought, just as Enji called from outside.

"Touya! Let down your hair!" Touya rose to his feet. 

_It's time._

"Touya, I'm not getting any younger down here!"

"Coming, Father." Touya cast down his long, long coils of hair, which Enji loosely formed into a loop before stepping in it as Touya pulled him up. "Hi, welcome home, Father."

"Oh, Touya. How you manage to do that every day without ceasing, I'll never understand."

"It's nothing, Father."

"Then I don't understand why it takes you so long!" Enji laughed. "Oh, I'm just teasing."

"So, Father, as you know, tomorrow is a very big day..." Touya began.

"Look in the mirror, Touya. You know what I see? I see a strong, capable, confident young man. And you," Enji said, putting a hand on Touya's shhoulder in front of the ornate gold-framed mirror. "I'm merely teasing! Why so serious?"

"So Father, as I was saying, tomorrow..."

"Flower, father's feeling a bit rundown. Would you sing for me? We can talk after that." Touya quickly grabbed a chair, stool and brush and got Enji acquainted in them before singing so quickly Enji was unable to even put the brush to his hair for the restoration of his youth.

" _Flowergleamandglowletyourpowershinemaketheclockreversebringbackwhatoncewasminehealwhathasbeenhurtchangethefate'sdesignsavewhathasbeenlostbringbackwhatoncewasmine._ "

"Touya!" Enji reprimanded.

"Sorry, Father. But as I was saying, tomorrow's a big day, and since you didn't say anything, I'm just going to tell you: It's my birthday!" Touya exclaimed.

'No, no. That can't be." Enji shook his head. "I distinctly remember that your birthday was last year."

"Yeah, well, that's the funny thing about birthdays." Touya shrugged. "They're kind of an annual thing. But I'm turning eighteen on this one, and, well, Father, I just wanted to ask you for something, something I've been meaning to ask you for for quite a few birthdays now..." Touya began nervously.

"You know how I hate the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah... It's very annoying. Oh, I'm just teasing again, you know I love you so much."

"I, um, I want to see the floating lights."

"What, flower?"

"I was kinda hoping you would take me to see the floating lights."

"Oh, you mean the stars," Enji said, smiling.

"That's the thing. I've charted the stars and their movements are always constant," Touya started. "But these, father, theses appear every year on my birthday. _Only_ on my birthday. And I can't help but fell that somehow... somehow, they're meant for me. I need to see them, and not just from my window. I have to know what they are."

"You want to go outside? But just look at you, Touya. Fragile as a flower. You know why we stay up here."

"But.."

"Trust me. Father knows best. Listen to your father, it's a scary world out there. One way or another, something will go wrong I swear. Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, canniblas and snakes, the plague. Also large bugs, men with pointy teeth, and stop, no more, you'll just upset me! father's right here, Father will protect you! Here's what I suggest... skip the drama, stay with papa, Father knows best. Take it from your father, on your own you won't survive. Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy, they'll eat you up alive. Gullible, naive, positively grubby, dizzy and a bit vague. Father understands, Father's here to help you, all I have is one request."

"Yes?" Touya asked hesitantly.

"Never ask to leave this tower again."

"Yes, Father."

"I love you very much, dear."

"I love you more."

"I love you most. Don't forget it, you'll regret it. Father knows best. I’ll see you in a bit, my flower.”

”I’ll be here,” Touya said with more confidence than he actually felt.

* * *

in the forest...

* * *

“No, no no. This is bad this is very very bad,” Tomura panted as they stopped in front of a tree with two wanted posters tacked up. “They just can’t get my nose right.”   
  
“Who cares,” Kenji growled.

”Easy for you to say, you guys look amazing,” Tomura said in a fake offended tone. They kept running in silence for a few more minutes until they were stopped before a crumbling cliff. “Alright. Give me a boost, and I’ll pull you guys up.”

”Give us the satchel first,” Himiko demanded.

”What? After all we’ve been through, I can’t believe that you guys don’t trust me. I am wounded.” They merely grunted and pushed Tomura up the side.

”Now help us up, pretty boy,” Himiko said forcefully.

”Sorry, my hands are full.” Tomura took off running, and soon the royal guard was in hot pursuit. Tomura managed to lose all but the captain and his frustratingly smart horse after a few minutes, until the captain was knocked off his seat by a low-hanging branch. He quickly leapt atop the horse and tried to spur it to action. “Come on, fleabag! Hyah! Come on, forward!” But the horse quickly dumped him off, and as he heard the sounds of the rest of the guard in the distance, he quickly ducked into a small cave that was partially hidden by vines and let out a sigh of relief.

Noticing that the cave continued further back, he cautiously traversed its length until he came out in an open clearing with a tower standing tall and proud in the center. Unsheathing a pair of knives, he dug them into the crumbling, mossy stone and pulled himself up.p and through the sole window. “Alone at last,” he sighed, before a loud clang echoed and he slumped to the floor. Touya stood shaking behind him, clutching a frying pan in both hands. He cautiously kneeled down and pulled the side of Tomura’s mouth up with the frying pan, checking for fangs. Tomura opened an eye. “Huh?” Another clang echoed through the room as Touya hit him again.

He grabbed Tomura’s arms and dragged him to the wardrobe in the corner, and after many, many tries, managed to get him in with a chair lodged under the handles.

”Okay. I have a person in my closet. I have a _person_ in my _closet,_ ” he said, twirling his pan. “Too weak to handle myself out there, huh?” Tell that to my frying pan!” he exclaimed as he dropped said frying pan and it crashed to the floor. Just then came the sound he wanted most to hear.

”Touya, let down your ha-air!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the greatest show on Earth!

"Just a moment, Father!" Touya called down. He gathered up his hair and tossed it out the window, pulling Enji back up.

"I have a big surprise!" he told Touya.

"I do too!" he responded.

"I bet mine is bigger!"

"I, uh, seriously doubt that."

"I brought back parsnips. Surprise! I'm going to make soup for dinner, your favorite."

"There's um, there's something I want to tell you too."

"Oh, flower, you know how I hate leaving you after a fight, especially when nothing I've done is wrong."

"so I've been thinking a lot about what you told me earlier and, well..."

"Touya, I certainly hope you're not still talking about the stars."

"floating lights," he corrected, "and it's related."

"Because I really thought we'd stopped talking about that."

"I was just, well, you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there, and,"

"Sweetie, I _know_ you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there. We're done talking about this."

"But I..."

"Touya," Enji warned.

"Trust me, I..."

"ENOUGH WITH THE LIGHTS! YOU ARE NEVER, EVER LEAVING THIS TOWER!" Enji burst out. "Oh, great. Now I'm the bad guy."

"Father, all... all I was going to say is I know what I want for my birthday now instead. That-that paint made from the white shells you once brought me."

"That trip's almost three days. Are you sure you'll be alright, out here on your own?"

"I just thought it was a better idea than, um, stars. I know I'll be safe as long as I'm here."

"Very well," Enji conceded. "I'll be back in three days. I love you so much, flower."

"I love you more," Touya challenged.

"And I love you most." After Enji left, Touya hesitantly dragged the still-unconscious form of the intruder out of the closet and bound him to a chair, before hiding himself in the shadows.

Tomura jolted awake. "Agh! Wait. Is this... is this _hair_?"

"Struggling-struggling is pointless!" The quavering voice came out of the shadows, even as Tomura continued to do just that and struggle. "I know why you're here, and I'm not afraid of you," the voice continued, even as the tone continued to suggest otherwise.

"Huh?" Tomura asked, confused. A man with white hair the same shade as his bindings and the hair that swathed the room as it cascaded behind him stepped out of the shadows, shaking, with a frying pan clutched in his hands.

"Who are you, and how did you find me?"

"Ah," Tomura said, relieved. "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you. But may I just say... Hi! The name's Tomura Shigaraki. How ya doin?"

"Alright, _Tomura Shigaraki_. Who else knows where I am?"

"Okay, Snowy.'

"Touya," he corrected.

"Bless you. So here's the thing. I was, um, gallivanting-yeah, gallivanting through your forest and I came across this tower and-wait where's my satchel?"

"I've hidden it somewhere you'll never find it," Touya told him.

"It's in that pot isn't it," he stated, before Touya hit him again and he again passed out. When he woke up, Touya was standing in front of him again.

" _Now_ it's hidden somewhere you'll never find it. Now tell me. What do you want to do with my hair? Cut it?" The hair lost it's magic when cut, but he wasn't going to tell him that. "Sell it?"

"What? No! The only thing I want to do with your hair is get out of it. Literally!'

"So you don't want my hair?" Touya asked, mystified. 

"Why on earth would I want your hair?" Tomura said, now completely baffled. "Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it. End of story."

"You're telling the truth."

"YES!"

 _Okay, so I need someone to take me,_ Touya thought. _I think he's telling the truth, he doesn't have fangs, and do I even have a choice?_ "Okay, Tomura Shigaraki," he began. "I'm prepared to offer you a deal. Look this way." He gestuered to one of his paintings on the wall, this one showing the lights as Tomura managed to spin his chair around just enough. "Do you know what these are?"

"You mean the lantern thing they do for the prince?"

"Lanterns..." Touya shook his head, eyes gleaming. "I _knew_ those weren't stars. Well, tmorrow evening they'll light up the sky. You will act as my guide, taking me to these lanterns and returning me safely back here. Then, _and only then_ , will I return your precious satchel."

"Yeah, no can do," Tomura told him. "Unfortunately, the kingdom and I aren't exactly compatible right now. So I can't take you anywhere."

"Well, Tomura Shigaraki. Something brought you here. Call it what you will. Fate, detiny..."

"A horse," he butted in.

"and as such," Touya continued, ignoring Tomura, "I have made the decision to trust you."

"A horrible decision, really," Tomura added. Touya pretended not to hear the last remark.

"But you trust me when I tell you this: you can tear apart this tower brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel again." Supremely untrue, but he was hoping Tomura couldn't tell that.

"Let me get this straight. I take you to the lanterns then bring you back here, and I get my satchel back?"

"I promise. And I never break my promises."

"Okay. I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." Tomura twisted his face up in an expression that can only be described as having a seizure while watching porcupines tango, if Touya had known about such things. "This is kinda an off day for me. Doesn't usually happen. Fine, I'll take you to the lanterns."

"Really!?1" Touya exclaimed, spinning around in a circle, but in the process pulling Tomura's chair to the ground. "Oops."

"You broke my smolder."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spinner is Max and you can fight me on this

Tomura unsheathed his knives and stabbed them beneath the windowsill, before pulling one out and reinserting it lower. He did this several more times before looking back up. "You coming, Snowy?" Touya stood hesitantly at the window as Tomura resumed his descent. Then he hooked his hair to the loop at the top of the window and jumped! He stopped about a foot above the ground, nervously clutching his hair, as Tomura as well reached the solid ground. Touya hesitantly stretched a toe out to touch the grass before dropping fully onto both of his feet. He laughed in sheer joy. "Just smell the grass, the dirt, just like I dreamed they'd be! Just feel that summer breeze, the way it's calling me! For the first time ever, I'm completely free! And i could go running and racing and dancing and chasing," he said, doing all of those things, "and leaping and bounding hair flying, heart pounding and splashing and reeling and finally feeling that's when my life begins!" He splashed into a stream, still laughing, a pure, joyous sound. 

The naive joy didn't last forever, though. Touya became subject to sudden mood swings, until finally, during a break, Tomura decided to say something. "You know, I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here."

"Really?" Touya sniffled.

"Now, I'm only picking up bits and pieces, overprotective father, forbidden road trip. All serious. But let me ease your conscience. This is all part of growing up, a little rebellion, a little adventure... that's good. Healthy, even." Toua brightened.

"You think?"

"I know. You're way overthinking this. Does your father deserve it? No. Will it break his heart and crush his soul? Yeah, but you gotta do it."

"Break his heat?" Touya asked, alarmed.

"In two."

"Crush his soul?"

"Like a grape." He squished a grape between his fingers as an example.

"He would be heartbroken, you're right."

"I am, aren't I?" Tomura said with false modesty. "Okay, can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting you out of the deal."

"Wait, what?" Touya asked, confused.

"Yep. But don't thank me. Let's just turn around and get you home, here's your pan. I get back my satchel, you get back a father-son relationship based on mutual trust, and voila! We part ways as unlikely friends."

"No, I am seeing those lanterns," Touya said determinedly, not about to be dissauded. 

"Come on!" Tomura complained. "What is it going to take to get my satchel back?" Touya pointed the pan at him.

"I will use this." All of a sudden, a rustling came from the bushes next to them. Touya leapt onto Tomura, shaking, pan pointed at the bushes. "Is it ruffians?!? Thugs?!? Have they come for me?!?" A small rabbit hopped out of the bushes.

"Stay calm," Tomura said sarcastically. "It can probably smell fear."

Touya let out a short, nervous laugh and untangled himself from Tomura. "Sorry. Just a bit, um, jumpy."

"Are you hungry? I know a great place for lunch."

"Where?" Touya asked, confidence mostly restored.

"Don't worry. You'll know it when you smell it."

* * *

Meanwhile, a palace horse and a father were both on the hunt. Spinner sniffed around, searching for any trace of the fugitive Tomura Shigaraki until he encountered one Enji. "Oh, a palace horse," Enji scoffed. "Where's your rider?" Then it hit him and he fled away through the forest. "Touya! Touya, let down your hair!" he called. When there was no response, he started screaming. "Touya? TOUYA!" He scrabbled at the tower, dislodging stones with his bare hands, until he came upon the passageway he knew was hidden there. He pushed up the trapdoor in the middle of the room, and though he searched everywhere, Touya was nowhere to be found. But what he did find was a satchel with a crown and a wanted poster for one Tomura Shigaraki. He resolved to do whatever it took to get Touya back from this Shigaraki.

* * *

"I know it's around here somewhere," Tomura said in response to Touya's questioning look. "Ah, there it is. The Snuggly Duckling. Don't worry, very quaint place, perfect for you. We don't want you scaring and giving up on this, now don't we?"

"Well, I do like ducklings," Touya said in his innocent and optimistic way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna leave you on a cliffhanger as to who the denizens of the Snuggly Duckling are. Hint: it's not the league


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note what's oozing in the ive got a dream part  
> also i know i said the updates were probably goonna be slow but ive got motivation and three days a week

Touya followed Tomura into the pub and was immediately scared by the dark, dirty atmosphere and the hulking residents. "You smell that? Take a deep breath through the nose and let it sink in. What are you getting? Because to me, it's part person smell and the other part is really bad person smell. Overall, it just smells like the color brown, I don't know why. Your thoughts?" Tomura rambled. Touya just shook and clutched his pan a little tighter.

"That's a lot of hair," someone rumbled behind them, picking it up.

"He's growing it out," Tomura answered. "Is that blood on your mustache? Snowy, look at all the blood on his mustache. Good sir, that's a lot of blood." Touya paled and looked faint and completely terrified. "Hey, you don't look so good. Maybe we should get you back home, call it a day. This is a five star place after all, and if you can't handle this, you should probably be back in your tower." But as they moved to leave, they were blocked by a man with dual-colored hair, holding a wanted poster that featured an artist's rendering of Tomura, complete with an absolutely humongous nose. 

"Is this you?"

"Now they're just being mean," Tomura sighed.

"Oh, it's him all right," a man with a head of spiky yellow hair and a pair of hearing aids growled. "Go find some guards. That reward is going to get me some new hearing aids." This resulted in an argument and Tomura being tugged back and forth by all sorts of different people while Touya begged for them to stop.

"Put him down! I don't know where I am, and I need him to take me to see the lanterns that I've been dreaming about my entire life. Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?" Touya begged. They all stopped, and the man with the yellow hair, who was currently in possession of Tomura, hung him on a spike on the wall by his shirt and stalked over to Touya, who quailed under his stare.

"I... had a dream once. I'm malicious mean and scary, my sneer could curdle dairy, and violence-wise my hands are... not the cleanest," he said with a look down at his hands, to mutters of agreement. "But despite my evil look, and my temper, and my ears, I've always wanted to be a concert pianist." Everyone was looking now, at this terrifying man talking about his dreams of being a pianist. "Can't you see me up on stage performing Mozart, tickling the ivories till they bleed? I'd much rather be called deadly for my killer showtune medley, cause like everybody else I've got a dream. So you see, I'm not as cruel and vicious as I seem," he told them. "Though I do like breaking femurs," he confessed, to chuckles, "You can count me among the dreamers. Cause way down deep inside I've got a dream." 

Next up came a man with longer, straight black hair cut in uneven bangs. "I've got scars and lumps and bruises, and something here that oozes," he began, pointing to lump on his elbow that did, in fact, seem to be oozing something. "And let's not even mention my complexion. But despite my extra toes, my goiter, and, well, my nose, I just, I really wanna make a love connection." This was met by resounding cheers. "Can't you see me with a special little lady, rowing in a rowboat down a stream?" he asked. "though I'm one disgusting blighter, I'm a lover, not a fighter. Just like everybody else I've got a dream." They began listing off everyone's dreams.

"Ibara would like to quit and be a florist, Mina does interior design. Toru's into mimes, Rikidou's cupcakes are sublime, Kyoka knits, Tsuyu sews, Deku does little puppet shows, and Shouto collects ceramic unicorns." The man with the two-toned hair who'd first stopped them held two small unicorns. They threateningly approached Tomura and one of them unhooked him from the wall. 

"I have dreams like you, no really! Just much less... touchy-feely," he started. "And they mostly happen somewhere warm and sunny. On an island that I own, safe, well-rested, and alone..." They all waited, with tension so thick you could almost feel it. "Surrounded by enormous piles of money!" A cheer went up, and Touya climbed on a table.

"I've got a dream! I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam! And with every passing hour, I'm so glad I left my tower! Just like all you lovely folks I've got a dream!" All of a sudden, the door burst open and guards poured in. The blond man quickly pulled down a tap, exposing a secret passage as the guards overturned the pub.

"Go. Live your dream."

They needed no further encouragement. "Goodbye, and thank you for everything," Touya told him before vanishing down the tunnel.

They walked in silence for about a minute, until they thought it was safe. "Well, I've gotta say, that was pretty impressive back there. Didn't know you had it in you."

"I know!" Touya exclaimed. "I know. Sooo, Tomura. Where are _you_ from?'

"Whoa, sorry, Snowy. I don't do backstory. However, I am getting quite interested in yours. I know I'm not supposed to mention the hair..."

"Nope."

"or the father."

"Uh uh."

"Here's my question, though," he began as they neared the end of the tunnel. "If you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?"

"Ummm..." However, Touya never got the chance to answer. As they stood in the light in front of the tunnel exit, in front of a deep canyon with a waterwheel and aquifer, two women burst out of another tunnel. "Who're they?"

"They don't like me," Tomura answered, as the royal guard burst out of the tunnel they had come through. 

"Who're they?" 

"They don't like me either." One last figure emerged.

"Who's that?"

"Let's just assume for the moment that everybody here doesn't like me."

"I've waited a long time for this," the captain of the guard grumbled. **(its hawks but thats not relevant)** Tomura gripped Touya's frying pan in both hands, using it to fend off swords and knock out guards. With guards laying in heaps around him, Tomura looked at the pan admiringly.

"I have got to get me one of these." One last dagger jabbed at him, and he whirled around, only to find it held by Spinner. He continued fighting, utterly bewildered. "I'll have you know this is _the_ strangest thing I've ever done." With one final jab, the frying pan was sent tumbling into the canyon below. "How about two out of three?" Touya's hair suddenly wrapped around his hand, and he was yanked backwards and down to the canyon floor. Spinner came chasing after them through the small elevated canal that harnessed the water's power, but as he came down its length, it broke, spilling water everywhere. Tomura and Touya fled into a cave, pursued by the wave, which caused a large rock formation to topple and block all hopes of escape.

As water started to fill up the cave, Tomura began to lose hope after repeated dives below the surface. "It's no use. I can't see anything," he gasped.

"This is all my fault. Father was right. I _never_ should have left my tower. I'm-I'm so sorry, Tomura." The shaking of Touya's voice was enough to show that he was crying.

"Tenko."

"What?" Tomura's answer was a complete surprise.

"Tenko Shimura. It's my real name. Just wanted someone else to know."

"I have magic hair that glows when I sing," Touya countered halfheartedly. "I have magic hair that glows when I sing!" HE sucked in a breath. " _Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine,"_ he began, just enough for his hair to glow like a bright star trapped in the cave with them, before diving under the water. Tomura, or shall we say, Tenko, was able to use the subsequent light it provided to find an opening, altough he sliced up his hand in the process. "We made it!" Touya crowed.

"Your hair glows."

"We're alive!"

_Didn't see that coming, His hair actually glows._

"Tenko..."

_Why does his hair glow?!?_

"Tenko!"

"What?"

"It doesn't just glow." Touya wrapped a part of his hair around Tenko's hand.

"So you're being strangely cryptic as you wrap your magic hair around my injured hand..." He grunted as Touya wrapped it tighter.

"Sorry. Just, um, try not to freak out, okay?" Touya quickly began to sing, and the hair started to glow. Tenko's eyes widened perceptibly. "Please don't freak out."

"Nope, I'm not freaking out, are you freaking out? I'm just very interested in your hair and the magical qualities it possesses. How long has it been doing that, exactly?"

"Uh, forever, I guess," Touya offered. "Father says when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. But once it's cut, it turns brown and loses all it's power, like this." He tucked his hair back, revealing a small strand of black curled next to his ear. "A gift like that has to be protected. That's why Father... why I..."

"You never left that tower. And yet you're still gonna go back."

"Yes-no-it's complicated." Touya quickly changed the subject. "So, Tenko Shimura, huh?"

"Yeah, well, I'll spare you the sob story of poor orphan Tenko Shimura."

"So why Tomura Shigaraki?"

"Well, at the orphangae where I lived, there was this book I used to read every night to the younger kids. _The Adventures Of Tomura Shigaraki._ Swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive. He had enough money to go wherever and do whatever he wanted. To a kid with nothing, well, it just kinda seemed like a better option. You can't tell anyone about this, alright? It'd ruin my entire reputation."

"And you wouldn't want that."

"Yeah, well, a fake reputation is all a man has. I should go get some firewood." He rose and turned away, about to head into the forest behind them.

"Hey, For the record, I prefer Tenko to Tomura."

"Yeah, well, then you'd be the first. But thank you." He headed into the outskirts of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All apologies, Hanta. You're actually decently good-looking, you're just the best I could find for this. Also Deku totally does little puppet shows


	6. Chapter 6

As Touya watched Tenko retreat into the trees, a voice from behind scared him half out of his skin.

"Well, I thought he'd never leave." Touya leapt to his feet and turned round.

"F-father?"

"Hello, dear."

"H-how d-did you find me?"

"Oh, it was easy. I listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that. We're going home. Now."

"But Father, you don't understand!" Touya said desperately. "I've been on the most incredible journey, I've seen and learned so much, and I even met someone!'

"Yes, the wanted thief. I'm so proud," Enji drawled sarcastically.

"But Father, I-I think he likes me."

"Likes you? Please, Touya, that's demented. This is why you never should have left. This whole romance that you've invented just proves you're too naive to be here. Why would he like you? Come on now, really. Look at you. Do you think he's impressed? Don't be an idiot. Come with me."

"No!" Touya burst out.

"Oh, I see how it is. Touya knows best. Touya's so mature now. Such a clever grown up man. Well, if you're so sure, go ahead and give him this!" Enji thrust Tenko's satchel at Touya. "That is why he's here, don't let him deceive you! Give it to him, watch, you'll see!"

"No, he wouldn't do that!"

"Trust me, my dear. That's how fast he'll leave you. I won't say I told you so. But Touya knows best! So go ahead and put him to the test. And if he's lying, don't come crying. Father knows best." Touya blinked, and when he opened his eyes, Enji had disappeared.

"Hey, just wondering, am I going to get superhuman strength in my hand, because that would be amazing." Touya nearly cleared his skin entirely. "Hey, you alright?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry, just, um, lost in thought, I guess."

"I mean cause here's the thing. Like, I've always had superhuman good looks, but superhuman strength, too? Just imagine the possibilities." 

"Hey, um, Tenko?"

"Yeah?"

"Here." Touya thrust the satchel at him. Tenko didn't pick it up, just left it there.

They quickly went to sleep after that.

Tenko's sleep was abruptly cut off by Spinner's sudden appearance. "Well, I hope you're here to apologize." He merely responded by grabbing Tenko's boot and yanking him backwards. "Ahhh! No, no, put me down!" Touya grabbed his arms and strating tugging him back, before commanding Spinner to release him, which surprisingly, he did. "OW!"

"Whoa, easy boy, Calm down. Now sit. Sit. Good, that's it. Now drop the boot. There you go, that's a good boy. You're so tired, chasing the bad man all over the place. No one appreciates you, do they?"

"Come on, he's a bad horse," Tenko protested.

"Aww, he's nothing but a big sweetheart, aren't you, Spinner?" Touya cooed. 

"You have got to be kidding me."

Touya continued addressing Spinner. "Look, today is kinda the biggest day of my life. And I need you not to get him arrested. Just twenty-four hours, and then you two can chase each other to your heart's content. And it's also my birthday. Just so you know." Spinner reluctantly conceded. "Thank you." That was how, ten minutes later, Tenko and Touya came to be racing into the city. The day seemed to pass in a blur of dancing and music and laughter. Tenko bought Touya a flag, and in return was dragged into a huge group dance in the square.

Touya got his hair braided and full of flowers, and his hands stained purple from chalk drawing. Yet, somehow all too soon and not soon enough, the sun began to sink below the horizon. Tenko led him onto a rowboat, and tossed Spinner a bag of apples. At his expression, Tenko replied, "I bought them! Most of them."

"Where are we going?" Touya asked him.

"Well, best day of your life. Figured you should have a decent seat. You okay?"

"Terrified," Touya confessed. "After all, I've been looking out my window for eighteen years. Dreaming about what this would feel like. And it's just... what if it's not everything I dreamed it'd be?"

"It will be."

"And even if it is? What'll happen then?"

"Well, that's the best part. You get to find a new dream." Then the first light rose from the palace. A wave of lanterns followed it, setting the sky awash in color and brightening it to a false day. Tomura grinned and pulled out two lanterns, handing one to Touya. Smiling, they launched them into the sky together.

"All those days watching from the windows. All those years outside, looking in. All that time never even knowing just how blind I've been. But now I'm here, blinking in the starlight. Now, suddenly, it's so clear that this is where I'm meant to be," Touya said with a soft smile bathed in golden light. "And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted, and it's like the sky is new. And it's warm and real and bright, and now somehow, the world's shifted. Now everything looks different."

"All those days, chasing down a daydream. All those years living in a blur. All that time never really seeing things the way they were. But now you're here, shining in the starlight, and suddenly I know that I'm where I need to be. And now everything, everything is different." They both leaned forward, and for a second, just a second, both of them could think of nothing but the other's lips. But that second ended when Tenko saw fire silhouetting someone familiar.

"You all right?" Touya asked, concerned.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, everything's fine. Just, um, just something I've gotta take care of. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Tenko trudged off to the shore, satchel slung across his back. He arrived in short time, to see Kenji and Himiko.

"Ah, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you guys. The buns are coming in nice, you gotta be excited about that. But just wanted to say, I shouldn't have split. The crown is all yours." He unslung the satchel and tossed it at their feet. "I'll miss you, but I think it's all for the best..."

"Holding out on us again?" Himiko growled.

"Huh?"

"We heard you found something much more valuable than a crown. We want her." Tenko tried to struggle, but to no avail. He was quickly knocked unconscious. Touya climbed out of the boat and onto the shore a minute or so later. As he saw Kenji's hulking silhouette, she mistook it for Tenko's.

"Ah, there you are. I was starting to think you ran off with the crown and left me." Then Himiko split off from behind her. "Huh?'

"He did."

"What? No. He wouldn't."

"See for yourself." Kenji gestured to a boat where the form of Tenko was visible at the wheel. 

"Tenko? Tenko!" Touya called.

"Fair trade. A crown for the boy with the magic hair. How much do you think someone would pay to be forever young and healthy?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I know I said the updates would probably be slow but... I said PROBABLY. Thus, I did not lie.

Touya stumbled backwards, then turned and broke out into a full-out run. His braid got got on a piece of dead wood, and he desperately tugged at it, finally feeling it break free before he heard a thunk. He turned and there was Enji, holding a branch, and the two women slumped at his feet. "Touya!"

"Father!"

"Oh, my precious boy. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"H-how?" Touya choked out.

"I was worried about you, darling, so I followed you and saw them attack you."

"You were right, Father. You were right about everything," he sobbed.

"I know, flower. I know. Now, quickly, let's go before they come to." Tenko's boat was approaching a dock just as he struggled back into consciousness. There were guards arrayed all over it.

"Look! The crown!" one cried.

"Touya! TOUYA!" Tenko screamed. "Wait, guys. Guys. TOUYA!"

"Let's get this over with, Shigaraki," the captain growled, and they dragged him away, still screaming for someone named Touya.

The Touya in question had arrived back at the tower with Enji, who had busied himself with unbraiding Touya's hair. He plucked out the last flower, and Touya's hair once more fell in a shining cloud around his shoulders. "There, it never happened. Now wash up for dinner." Touya just sat forlornly on his bed. "I really did try to warn you what was out there. The world is dark, selfish, and cruel. If it finds even the slightest bit of light, it destroys it."

Tenko struggled wildly as he was hauled through the damp corridors of the prison, but finally found the strength to break free when he spotted Himiko in a cell next to him. "How did you know about him?' he demanded.

"It wasn't us! It was the old man!" she gasped. The guards grabbed Tenko's arms again, and he squirmed and yelled.

"No! You don't understand! He's in trouble! Wait! Please!" But his efforts were to no avail as the guards continued to pull him down the hall. 

Touya found the small flag Tenko had given him and unrolled it, staring at the painted ceiling. Then he saw the small suns hidden across the paintings, twins to the one on the flag, and remembered staring at a very different ceiling as two people and crowns leaned over and smiled at him. _I'm the lost prince._ **(a bit cliche there but its disney)** Enji went halfway up the stairs.

"Touya, are you alright?" Touya rose and looked down at him.

"I'm the lost prince," he said softly.

"Please, speak up, Touya. You know how I hate the mumbling."

"I'm the lost prince. Aren't I? Did I mumble, Father? Or should I even call you that?"

"Do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask something so ridiculous?"

"It was you! It was all you." Traces of tears were forming in Touya's eyes.

"Everything I did was to protect you," Enji defended.

"I spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power! I should have been hiding from _you,_ " Touya accused.

"Where will you go?" Enji asked, a smirk dancing across his face. "He won't be there for you." Touya stopped, dead still.

"What did you do to him?"

"That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes." Touya cried out, once, a sound of pain and rage. "Now, now. It's alright. Listen to me. This is the ways things should be."

"No! It's not! You were wrong about the world! And you were wrong about me! And I will never, ever let you use my hair again!"

"You want me to be the bad guy?" Enji growled. "Fine. Now I'm the bad guy." **(duh)**

The guards were escorting Tenko to the gallows, he knew, but refused to accept it. Because of his struggling, he noticed a small unicorn perched on a windowsill just before the door in front of them slammed shut. "Huh? Open up!" one of them demanded.

"What's the password?" The reply was so unexpected that they just kind of stood in silence for a few moments.

"What?"

"Nope."

"Open this door!"

"Not even close."

"You have three seconds!" He counted backwards from three, but for every second he counted back, one of the three other guards vanished, until it was just him and Tenko. He turned and stared for a moment, until the door opened behind him and one of the people from the pub smashed him on the head with a frying pan.

"Frying pans. Who knew, right?" Tenko offered. The thug rushed him through into a courtyard and as royal guards started to pour in, the one with the hearing aids started instructing Tenko.

"Head down."

"Head down."

"Arms in."

"Arms in."

"Knees apart."

"Knees apart. Wait, why do I need to keep my knees apart?" He got his response when they jumped on the board he was standing on, catapulting him through the air and onto Spinner. "You brought them here? Thank you. No really, thank you. I feel like this whole time-yeah, you're right, we should go. Let's see just how fast you can run." They almost flew, and in very little time they'd made it to the hidden valley where the tower was. He dismounted. "Touya! Touya, let down your hair!" there was no response for a moment, and he started to climb barehanded before silvery-white hair cascaded down. He grabbed it and began to pull himself up, climbing through the window. "Touya, I thought I'd nev-" he slumbed to the ground, Enji standing behind him holding a bloodied knife and Touya in front of him, chained and gagged.

Touya tried to call his name through the strip of fabric tied around his mouth.

"Now look what you've done, Touya. Don't worry, flower, our secret will die with him. And as for us? We are going somewhere you will never be found again. Ever." Touya threashed against the chains, trying to get to Tenko and causing the gag to slip down. "Touya! Stop fighting me!'

"No! I won't stop!" he screamed before his voice broke. "For every minute of the rest of my life I will fight. But, if you just... just let me save him, I will go with you."

"Nooo," Tenko groaned.

"I'll never run. Never try to escape. Just let me heal him. And you and I will be together. Forever. Just like you wanted. Just please let me save him." Enji took a piece of fabric and knotted it around his feet.

"In case you get any ideas about following us." Touya crawled over to him.

"Tenko! Oh, I'm so sorry, but everything's going to be okay now. I promise, you have to trust me."

"No, I can't let you do this," Tenko groaned.

"And I can't let you die."

"But if you do this... then you will die." Tenko realized that he faced death either way, bleeding out there or being hanged. And he thought he'd rather die there, with the one person who cared about him. With his last vestiges of strength, he grabbed a shard of broken glass off the floor and sliced it through Touya's hair, turning it completely black and short and spiky. And completely powerless.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the last chapter, I've just been churning these things out. Thank you guys all so much for the comments and kudos and bookmarks and even passing glances!

Enji stumbled backwards, hair graying and face wrinkling in an extreme case of time lapse. "What have you done?!? _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE_ ," he growled, voice growing weaker. As he moved backwards, his foot caught on a coil of black hair and he tripped, falling back through the window. By the time his cloak hit the ground, he was nothing but dust. Touya rushed to the window for but a brief moment, then ran back to Tenko.

"No, no, no, Tenko, stay with me," he pleaded, eyes gleaming silver. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," he sang desperately, but to no avail.

"Touya..." Tenko began weakly. "you were my new dream." And he went slack in Touya's arms as his eyes glaze over. 

"And you were mine," he told the corpse. "Heal what has been hurt," he attempted again, before breaking down in sobs. A single tear landed on Tenko's face and it started to glow, almost unnoticeably. It was more noticeable when a silver and white flower grew into being around it. Another one burst out of his wound, spreading tendrils of light all around them. In the bright light, Tenko's wound started to stitch itself back together. He ever so slowly cracked his eyes open and Touya's sobs turned to ones of joy and relief.

Touya," he managed.

"Tenko!" Touya cried.

"Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for ravenettes?" Touya grabbed his face and pressed their lips together, in their first kiss. And despite being surrounded by eighteen years of bad memories and broken dreams, Touya'd never been happier. 

The captain of the guard knocked on the door, disrupting the queen's attempt to comfort her husband. What he said made them both pause and then race out onto the balcony, where Touya and Tenko were waiting. They enfolded Touya into a hug while Tenko stood awkwardly by. At least, until one of their arms shot out and pulled him in. This was, as you can imagine, cause for celebration. The party lasted an entire week, and not many people remembered much of it. Dreams came true everywhere. Katsuki, the guy with the hearing aids, well, he went on to become the most famous concert pianinst in the whole world. Hanta, the one who just wanted to find true love, well, he eventually found it. And Toru, the mime? Well, I assume she's happy. At least, she's never told me otherwise.

Thanks to Spinner, crime in the kingdom disappeared almost overnight. As did most of the apples.

At last Touya was home, and he finally had a real family. He was a prince worth waiting for, who led with all the grace and justice his parents had before. Tenko, well, he started going by Tenko again, stopped thieving, and basically turned it all around. But what you're probably thinking is, did Tenko and Touya ever get married. Well, after years and years of asking, Tenko finally said yes. Okay fine. Tenko was the one who asked.

And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
